STAYING THE GOSPEL COURSE (PART 1)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots.

2 Corinthians 6:3-5a

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Before someone makes their choice to become a Christian, there is something they should know.

It’s not an easy life.

It certainly wasn’t for Jesus and by association, it isn’t for His followers either.

This shouldn’t come as any surprise because Jesus told His disciples this and it has applied to everyone who has been a disciple since then:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also.” John 15:18-20a

Christians are in the world but no longer of it because of their commitment to Jesus. They become new creations when they are born again, dead to their former selves and committed to live anew as their Savior did. This rejection of the world goes both ways as the world now rejects anyone who fails to comply with its ways. You can see this first hand today as the world tries to establish principles that are non-biblical and definitely anti-Christ, and when Christians speak out, they are vilified. Satan is the ruler of the world and he opposes everything that is related to Jesus, rallying his minions (read non-Christ believers) to carry out his bidding. And therein is where the battle lines are drawn, non-believers guided by Satan against Christians directed by Christ. Jesus followers have to make sure they are equipped for the fight, donning the full spiritual armor of God discussed in Ephesians, chapter 6. Even though Jesus already has gained the ultimate victory, Satan will do everything he can to deter the advancing of the Gospel and thwart the saving of non-believers. This is his daily mission.

So believers face spiritual attacks but they also might face hardships as well. After all, Jesus commanded His followers to go and make disciples and go means go.

Where should we go?

Where ever Jesus leads us, that’s where.

This means we may need to leave our comfort zone and go places we’re unfamiliar with. We may need to rely and trust in God to provide for us as we carry out our Gospel work. Jesus showed His disciples this in what was a quasi-boot camp training for what was to come. Look at this excerpt from the Gospel of Luke:

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.  Luke 9:1-6

The only thing the disciples were fully equipped with was the Gospel message to share and the power and authority to do heal the sick, curing diseases and driving out demons. They had to fully rely on the people they were going to, complete strangers, to provide shelter, food, and support. Their physical needs were met by the people they were sent to aid and they had to trust that Jesus wasn’t sending them out to perish.

And so they went in obedience and were successful in carrying out what Jesus called them to do. The scriptures don’t detail that they experienced any great hardship in doing so.

Fast forward to the Apostle Paul and we find someone that went where ever he was sent by the Lord Jesus to carry out His Gospel-sharing command to the ends of the earth, consistently having to rely on the provision of others to support his ministry. But unlike the Twelve in our Luke passage, Paul regularly faced danger and persecution. Hardship was an expectation for him but amazingly, he didn’t quit. Rather, he persevered for the cause of Christ and became an inspiration for all missionaries who would walk in his footsteps.

Indeed, Paul stayed the course of Gospel ministry and shares all the many things he persisted through in verses 3 through 10 of 2 Corinthians 6. Over the next several days, I will break down this passage to cover difficulties Paul faced because they are difficulties anyone could face today when setting out to bring God’s salvation offer through Jesus to others. Today, we’ll look at verses 3 through 5 and there Paul writes:

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger.  2 Corinthians 6:3-5

Paul preached the Gospel with integrity and consistency. He never steered off course but stayed on track so his ministry wouldn’t be discredited and therefore become a stumbling block in a person’s spiritual path. The apostle showed great endurance across four missionary journeys as he faced a multitude of trouble, hardship, and distress.

We must remember that Christianity was a fledgling religion in first century A.D. and was in competition with far more established belief systems, both monotheistic (there were Jews everywhere who rejected Jesus) and polytheistic (most places Paul went had religions that worshiped multiple gods). It would have been surprising if Paul visited somewhere and didn’t face resistance. Often he and those working with him were beaten, imprisoned, or faced murderous riots, all meant to deter him from carrying out the work Christ called him to do. Paul never wavered, no matter how tough it became. He stayed the course despite the threats, the hard work, the sleepless nights, and the hunger.

Going all in for Jesus in regard to doing what He has called us to do isn’t for the faint of heart. But by studying the ministry of Paul, inspired by his unwavering dedication and devotion towards the Gospel cause, we can learn how to persevere and endure ministry trials ourselves as we stay the course for the sake of Christ.

Tomorrow, we’ll continue to look at how Paul exercised great endurance in his missionary work.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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WHAT TRUE FREEDOM LOOKS LIKE

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 21:3-5

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Today, Independence Day (also known as the 4th of July), millions of people will celebrate their freedom in the United States. They will gather for picnics and cookouts, attend parades, and culminate the day with watching glorious fireworks displays. It’s a holiday where most people are off, a day filled with fun and enjoyment.

But here’s the thing.

There’s a large segment of those millions of people who are not really free because they have not yet accepted the true source of their freedom.

You see, people in America are entangled in their national history and pride so much that they believe freedom is grounded in a day 241 years ago when the nation’s founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, establishing the first thirteen American colonies as a nation liberated from British rule and tyranny. And although a democracy was born that day, a democracy we still enjoy today, it only set people free for the here and now. It hasn’t guaranteed anyone a future freedom nor will it.

This is because there is only one way to ensure that you are free now and forever, a truth that has existed since we started counting years AD. Maybe you have never thought about that but why do we use a marker that separates BC and AD anyways? I know you have seen this used all the time but most people fail to understand that the demarcation point is the birth of Jesus.

Thus, BC stands for Before Christ and AD, short for Anno Domini, means “in the year of the Lord”, the time that Jesus came into the world to bring salvation, and yes, freedom. Not just salvation and freedom for the short term but salvation and freedom eternally.

We base the way we look at time and years, the way we look at our history off of Jesus and yet as mentioned earlier, there are millions upon millions of people who don’t even acknowledge belief in Him, a number that reached roughly one third of America’s population in a survey taken three years ago. That’s a lot of people who think they are free, free to choose not to believe in Jesus, and yet they are actually imprisoned within their views of liberty and as far from free as they could be.

This isn’t just my opinion. The word of God from the Gospel of John tells us this:

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8:36

True freedom is only found in Jesus, the One who God sent to save all mankind from their sins.

Yes, you can proclaim democracy all you want to. But democracy is a system of government. Nothing more, nothing less. It hasn’t, won’t, nor will it ever bring you or anyone else salvation. Ever. Only Jesus, the Son, can set you free.

Free from what you may ask?

Look at these verses from Revelation 21 and the promise of a new earth and heaven after Jesus returns to judge the earth and take with Him those who believed and trusted in Him as Savior, those who are counted among the free indeed:

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  Revelation 21:3-5

Here we find the promise and assurance of some of the things a Christ believer will be free from as soon as they accept Him as Savior.

1. Free from death.

Jesus conquered death and the grave after bearing the sins of us all on Calvary’s cross. His resurrection and ascension paved the way for us to follow once we place our belief in Him.

2. Free from mourning.

There will be no more need for grief for we will not lose anything or anybody ever again. We will live forever with God and Jesus, in the company of the other saints who gained their salvation.

3. Free from crying.

There will be no need for sadness as you enter eternity free from all the afflictions and hardships that your worldly life brought upon you. You will only experience elation and joy over having made it across the finish line to claim your part of eternity’s inheritance.

4. Free from pain.

This could mean a lot of things. Pain from the guilt and penalty of sin. Pain from illness or injury. Emotional pain from any number of life events that may have left you hurt.

One thing is certain. There will be no pain in heaven. None. And I don’t know about you but I am looking forward to that.

Indeed, the Lord will one day make all things new in a world that is free from every difficulty we’ve experienced in the past, are experiencing today, or will experience in the future during this temporary life.

So what does true freedom look like?

Look to Jesus, believe in Him, receive Him as Savior, and you will find out.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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TOMORROW MAY BE TOO LATE

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (NLT)

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

How often do we put off things and miss opportunities?

I remember many times when there was a sale on a particular item I needed and rather than go and get the time right away, I talked myself into waiting until tomorrow and when tomorrow came, I got caught up in the things of life and didn’t go. Before I knew it, the sale had ended and I missed out on the benefit of saving money.  

And then there are those pesky coupons we get in the mail or online. These coupons often have expiration dates, requiring us to use the coupon for a discount before time runs out. I have used these coupons to save money on oil changes, movie tickets, and things at retail stores and grocery stores.

Unfortunately, just like missing those advertised sales, when all I have to do is show up and purchase to get the discount in the prescribed time period, I end up putting the coupon aside with the intent of using it only to move onto things I needed to do at work or around the house, and then find the coupon weeks later realizing it had already expired. I end up throwing the coupon in the trash just as I threw away an opportunity to gain savings.

Maybe you can relate to these two scenarios because you’ve done the same thing.

Well, in today’s opening two verses from the sixth chapter of 2 Corinthians, we find the Apostle Paul warning the people of Corinth (and people today) of a danger that comes with procrastinating when it comes to an offer God is giving, and offer that involves a different kind of saving, a saving that has an eternal, spiritual application, a saving that has an expiration date with far greater consequences if we miss it. Look again at Paul’s words here:

As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Today, right now, God is offering to save you. It is indeed a “marvelous gift” grounded in His kindness.

You see, if you’re reading this today, you need to come face to face with the reality that you are a sinner standing before a God who hates sin, a God who will judge and destroy anyone who chooses to live in it. Without a chance to be saved, you are destined for doom.

But you also need to come face to face with the reality that God loves you, so much so that He didn’t wish for you to be subject to His wrath and perish. And so He made the way for you to be saved. All you need to do is believe in Jesus as your Savior, admitting your fallen sinful state that needed redeemed and atoned for.

In the end translation of things, you are completely incapable of saving your own soul. Only Jesus can do that but know that this salvation from God has an expiration date and that date is the day you will die. You have no idea of when that will be. It could very well be today and this is what should add urgency to your decision to accept God’s offer of redemption and eternal life through His Son. Our scriptures remind us that “Today is the day of salvation”.

If you aren’t already a Christian, will you make this true for yourself? Are you willing to receive God’s marvelous gift of kindness called salvation and make today your day of salvation?

Like Paul and the other God partners with him, I beg you to do this, without delay, right now. It’s a decision you will never regret.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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SPECIAL AMBASSADORS

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Look up the definition of an ambassador and this is one of the meanings you will find:

Ambassador (noun): a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity.

We typically think of ambassadors from a political angle as nations will typically send diplomatic envoys to other countries to work with that nation while representing the interests of his or her home country. But there are kinds of ambassadors, ones we often see but don’t associate with the term.

One of those less evident types of ambassadors is brand ambassadors. It’s a marketing strategy used to promote a certain product or program where a person is used to be the face of the item being promoted. They are employed for the express purpose of representing the company who hired them, specifically endorsing and publicizing either the company itself, a particular product or program, or both.

This latter kind of ambassador is found as far back as biblical times. We know this because of the final two verses of 2 Corinthians 5. Look at the words of the Apostle Paul as he speaks on the subject:

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. vv. 20-21

Here we find that Christians are to be ambassadors for Jesus, appointed to represent Him to bring a set message to those we speak to, the message of salvation. Through His Great Commission, Jesus enlisted every one of His believers to be a part of the salvation campaign, ensuring that every person knows about God’s offer of salvation through His Son, the One who was sent to be the Savior of the world. And as we go about doing what Jesus commanded, serving as His ambassadors, we are speaking in such a way that God was making His salvation appeal through us. In other words, we are instruments used by God to share His petition for people to turn from their sin and repent while believing they will be saved through the redeeming work of His Son at Calvary’s cross.

To this end, we should follow Paul’s lead and implore others on Jesus’ behalf so that all non-believers might be reconciled to God through Jesus, the One God made to be sin who had no sin for all mankind, so that the collective sin of humanity might be atoned for through Christ’s crucifixion sacrifice. This redeeming work would help anyone who believed in Jesus to gain the righteousness of God through Him.

Friends, all Christians have been called to share the Gospel with others and this makes us all special ambassadors appointed by the Savior Jesus. Our daily commitment should be to carry out what we were called to do, sharing the Gospel so that non-believers might be reconciled to God through His Son and gain the promise of eternal life. There’s always lots of work to do to this end because the situation today is the same in Jesus’ day, a situation which led Him to say:

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” Matthew 9:37

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE BLESSING OF RECONCILIATION

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever experienced the blessing of reconciliation?

I hope you have because it’s one of the most beautiful things to witness and/or be a part of. Here’s my experience:

It was the year 1992 and I was in my third year after an emotionally painful divorce. My ship had adopted a local elementary school and Sailors could volunteer their time there by working with the children. I signed up and was assigned to assist two third grade classrooms, serving as a quasi-teacher’s assistant. My intent was to make a difference in the kids I would get to work with. Little did I know that the Lord had something else in store.

You see, one day as I was leaving the school building, I ran into the Assistant Principal, Ms. White, in the hallway outside of the school office. She was a beautiful, African American woman who was dressed professionally and had a pleasant personality and demeanor. We had met before just in passing but for whatever reason, our conversation became a little more personalized.

I remember that I had asked her if she had plans for the upcoming weekend and she stated she was going to see a movie. As beautiful as she was, I assumed she was going with someone else but still I asked her and, of course, she said she had a date. I’ll admit, I felt a little dumb at that moment but then Ms. White added, “I’m going with someone but he doesn’t know what direction he’s going” before getting summoned to the office by the P.A. system. I was left standing there to figure out what she meant by that last statement.

After that encounter, I left and couldn’t stop thinking about her and what she said. I was going to be in the building one more time before my ship got underway for six weeks and so if I was going to do something, it had to be fast. And so, I decided to send Ms. White flowers and ask her to go to dinner, wording the card so she would remember our conversation and know it was me because I didn’t want to put my name on it and then have someone question her about interaction with a school volunteer.

The next week, I followed my usual routine. I went to the school and walked to the two classes I worked with. If I didn’t see Ms. White then my efforts would have been for not but at least I tried. I finished my work without seeing her and then started to make the long walk down the hallway to exit the building when all of a sudden, she appeared. She walked up to me, checked to see if anyone was watching, and then said, “I loved the flowers you sent...and the answer is ‘Yes’”. We agreed to meet at a local restaurant the following evening and the dinner was amazing for both of us. We talked and talked, finally ordering dinner after several hours. There was obvious chemistry immediately and from that point on, Ms. White was Grace to me and I was Mark to her.

The next day, I went to sea and hated that I was leaving right after spending such wonderful time with Grace. After going to sea, I decided to tell my parents all about the special lady I was seeing and the conversation was going well until I mentioned Grace’s race and that didn’t go over well, much to my disappointment and anger. I was never brought up in a prejudicial environment and I was hurt finding out that there was a problem just because of the color of my girlfriend’s skin. My father stopped talking to me that day but my mother accepted things and embraced the relationship.

Undeterred by my father’s rejection, I proposed to Grace and we set a wedding date in December, just weeks after my return from deployment. The wedding was beautiful and my mother and sister came from Pennsylvania to attend. They joined most of Grace’s family (and she has a big family) who converged on Virginia from all parts east of the Mississippi. And with that, we began our life together with the Lord at the center of everything.

During our first year and a half of marriage, we made several trips to Pennsylvania to visit family there. Everyone would be excited about us coming except for my father of course who would conveniently be absent when we came. In the summer of 1994, things changed.

My sister contacted us and said the family was getting together for a reunion. My three sisters and brother would be there with their families and she wondered if we would like to come and I immediately asked how this was going to work with my father and his attitude toward us. She shared that my dad wanted to make things right and so Grace and I made the long trip north from Virginia to see family and my father for the first time since we got married.

When we arrived at the house, Grace asked me to go in first and so I did. As I walked through the front door, my father immediately started to weep uncontrollably, saying he was sorry. I had never seen him that distraught before. I sat beside him, put my arm around him, and told him in was okay, that I loved and forgave him. He didn’t understand how I could feel that way after the way he had acted and I shared with him how Jesus loves and forgives those who don’t really deserve it, even saving them, and if He could forgive those whose sins led to His suffering and death, then we can forgive one another.

Next, Grace came in and met my father for the first time. My dad wept even harder this time but Grace showed him the same love and forgiveness I did. It’s just one of the reasons why I always tag her first name with the word “Amazing” as she is a special woman in the Lord Jesus Christ.

You know, after that powerful day of forgiveness, a day when the blessing of reconciliation was on full display, my father treated Grace like she was one of his daughters, loving her unconditionally. But that wasn’t the most amazing part of this true story. The truly incredible outcome was that my dad gave his life to Jesus and attended church faithfully every Sunday from 1994 until he passed away in 2011, saved by the blood of the Lamb and destined for eternal life.

In the end translation, the Lord wasn’t just working to reconcile my father to Grace and I. Rather, He was trying to reconcile my father to Himself and He used Grace and me as instruments to make that happen.

Now this wonderful memory came rushing to the forefront as I read today’s scripture verses. For through these words, we are reminded of God’s redeeming, reconciling work through Jesus, His Son. Look again at these words from the Apostle Paul as he wrote to the church in Corinth:

All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Paul just finished talking about how a person is made a new creation when they accept Jesus as Savior, a transformation made possible by a God who “reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” as He was “reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them”.

We only know and understand the true blessing of reconciliation through remembering how God reconciled all sinners to Himself through Christ Jesus and it was this “message of reconciliation” that the Lord committed to Paul just as He commits it to us today. It’s a message that all Christians should be ready to share, a vital component of the Gospel message.

For reconciliation with God was made available to all people because of Jesus. All one needs to do to receive it is believe.

Thanks be to God for His willingness to forgive us and offer His Son as an atoning sacrifice to cover our sins and save us. I’m so thankful my father accepted that offer after experiencing the blessing of reconciliation first hand.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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